Monorailway.



No. 709,263. Patented sept. le, |902.

Y, u E. A. GREEN.

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(Application mea July 12, 1902.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

m L, www y Patented Sept. I6, |902.

E. A. GREEN. MONORAILWAY. (Application filed July 12, 1902.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NITED STATES PATENT IOTFICE,

EDWARD A. GREEN, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

M ONORAI LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,263, dated September 16, 1902.

Application filed July 12,1902. Serial No. 115,271. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. GREEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Monorailways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. to My invention relates to that class of monorailways wherein the main traction-rails and the guide-rails disposedn on opposite sides thereof extend on substantially parallel horizontal planes. t5 The object of my invention is to provide a monorailway of this type with a track system which in conjunction with the running-gear of the cars adapted to traverse same will reduce to a minimum the friction between the zo traction and guide wheels and the rails therez5 A further object is to so arrange the guideY rails and wheels that when the said truck does oscillate there will be no friction occasioned by a side pressure of the guide-wheels upon their rails, as would be the case were 3o said wheels provided Awith either side or central flanges.

To this end the invention consists in conforming the treads of the guide-wheels to the arc inscribed by the supports therefor, so that a vertical pressure solely will be exerted thereby, and in those other novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto 4o appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a section of track and of a car-truck and running-gear embodying my invention, said last-mentioned elements being partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a plan view.

of the said car-truck and running-gear with one pedestal'shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, of the said track system, cartruck, and running-gear.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

` The supporting structure for my improved monorailway is well. known in railway engineering and when an elevated structure is used is substantially like that now employed on the ordinary elevated railways. It comprises the cross girdersor beams A, or when desired an ordinary ballasted road-bed may be substituted, to which are secured the usual 6o longitudinal stringersas B,which support the ties C slightly above the road-bed level. Said ties project beyond said stringere to permit the use of the under guide-rails, hereinafter referred to.

Centrally of the upper face ofthe ties C are secured the main traction-rails D D by ordinary and well-known means. These rails are so arranged in relation to each other as to present a single traction-rail having two par- 7o allel and distinct traction-surfaces, with a central channel for the `flange of the main traction-wheel. Pendent from the lower side of said ties on each side of and equidistant from said main traction-rail are the T- rails E E, which present a single traction-surface downwardly and which serve as guiderails merely under certain conditions. These traction and guide rails extend upon substantially parallel horizontal planes and are 8o a comparatively short distance apart..

The running-gear ot' the cars to be used in conjunction with the aforesaid track system comprises the wheels a Ct, mounted centrally of the axles b b. Each wheel is provided with acentral peripheral liange d2,which forms two traction-surfaces o.' a', adapted to run upon the rails D D, the flange a2 entering the channel formed between said rails. Each end of the axles b b is journaled in a housing c o, go which housings are provided with the usual brasses and packing. Suspended from said journal-housings, by means of the pedestalyokes d d, is the car-truck, comprised of suitable side frames @and cross-bracese'.. These 95 frames are so spaced apart as to extend beyond the ends of the ties C C and have rigidly secured thereto adjacent to the journal-housings downwardly-projected supports ff', the lower portions of which are connected by a too longitudinal brace g to prevent spreading. Fixed to the lower portion of each suptportj'f is a bearing h, which extends under the guiderails E E and upon which is mounted a guidewheelj. These wheels extend into close proximity to the said guide-rails without actually both sides of the track.

contacting therewith under normal conditions-that is, when the car is perfectly balanced-butwhen the car-truck swings from 'side to side when running at reduced speed,

when at rest, and when taking curves the guide-wheels on one side of the car engage said rail and thereby limit such oscillation.

To relieve the strain on the track, thejar on the car, and the resulting friction of a too-sud,- den great pressure,I provide a resilientbuffer, preferably of rubber, which isinterposed between the pedestal-yoke l and the journalhousing c. To prevent a side pressure on the guide-rails E E, the periphery of the guidewheelsjj is made concave, the arc thereof being approximately in conformity with that inscribed bythe bearings for said lwheels when the car-truck oscillates.

The railway may be operated by the force of gravity, by electricity, or by any other desired motive power. When electricityis used, power may be derived from an overhead trolley or from a third rail and shoe and may be applied and controlled in any well-known manner.

This monorailway is `designed mainly for the purpose of developing high speed with comparative safety, and to this end it is desirable to eliminate to as great an extent as possible the element of friction. When the car runs at high speed except in takiug'cu rves, the wheelsjj run free of the guide-rails E E and there is no friction from this source. The arrangement of the traction-rails D D in conjunction with the form of wheel or shown insures sufficient tractive force to develop great speed and also gives a more stable equilibrium to the car'structure, while to a great extent avoiding the dangers of dei-ailment.

As the car-truck oscillates with the base ofl the wheels c as an axis, this motion is limited by engagement of the guide-wheelsjj with the rail D on one side of the said track. This will to an iuappreciable extent create friction, and to minimize same the periphery of said wheels is made concave to limit the pressure as much as possible to a direct vertical strain. This construction is desirable in that the said wheels with the oscillation of the car-truck inscribe a short arc involving a lateral movement which with the ordinary Iianged wheel having one or two flanges would create not only friction from vertical pressure, but also from a side pressure from the flanges not only on the side in engagement but on The arch of the periphery of the guide-wheels coinciding to a certain extent with the arc inscribed by the entire wheel, as one wheel engages its track the other simply follows its tracks, remaining out of engagement therewith. This avoids additional resistance and resulting friction. The resilient buffers k absorb the jar of first contact between said guide-wheels and guiderails and the inertia of same is overcome under slight pressure, so that when the pressure increases the wheel is running smoothly and this engagement does not materially impede the progress of the car.

It is not myintention to limit myinvention to the precise details of construction as herein shown and described, as it is apparent that many changes as to general arrangement, length of wheel-base,and other details to adapt the structure to special purposes or arrangement of motors or other applications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a monorailway, ties suitably supported above the road-bed level, a main traction-rail presenting two parallel traction-surfaces and a channel dividing them, guiderails presenting downwardly a single traction-surface pendent from the lower side of said ties on each side of and equidistant from said main traction-rail, in combination with a car running-gear comprising main tractionwheels having two traction-surfaces and an intermediate flange, a car-truck suspended from the axles of said wheels, pendent rigid supports carried by said truck, immovable bearings carried thereby and guide-wheels mounted upon said bearings and adapted to come into but normally out of engagement with said guide-rails, the peripheries of said guide-wheels being concave and arched to conform substantially to the arc inscribed by their bearings upon the oscillation of the cartruck.

2. In a monorailway, ties suitably supported above the road-bed level, a main traction-rail presenting two parallel traction-surfaces and a channel dividing them, guiderails presenting downwardly a single traction-surface pendent from the lower side of said ties on each side of and equidistant from said main traction-rail, in combination with a car running-gear comprising main tractionwheels having two traction-surfaces and an intermediate liange, journal-housings for the axles of said wheels, pedestal-yokes inclosing said housings, a resilient buer disposed between the top of said housings and said pedestal-yokes, a car-truck suspended from said pedestal-yokes, pendent rigid supports c'arried by said truck, immovable bearings carried thereby and guide-wheels mounted upon said bearings and adapted to come into but normally out of engagement with said guiderails, the peripheries of said guide-wheels being concave and arched to conform substantially to the arc inscribed by their bearings upon the oscillation of the car-truck.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 10th day of July, 1902, in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. GREEN.

Witnesses:

LEWIS GRoFF, S. STERNBERGER.

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